Protection of Asian elephants
Laos is said to be the land with a million elephants. However it is difficult to estimate the number of elephants in the country but its seems there are about 1200 of them, among which 500 are domesticated.
By the tamed elephants, the birth rate has constantly been decreasing these past few years and the death rate has been increasing. Every year there are about one or two births for about 10 deaths.
ELEPHANT ASIA
1. Birth problems
Historically these animals were used for transporting rice and heating wood, which left them sufficient time to reproduce. Presently the work rhythm is such that, at the end of the day, the mahouts prefer to tie the elephants to a tree all the night so that they can make them work the next day.
Thus, they have no time to reproduce. Moreover the population is aging and there is a significant loss of income for the mahouts with each pregnancy: you can then understand why the birth rate decreases so rapidly.
2. Early death
Like human beings, a wild elephant lives in average around 80 years but the present work rhythm doesn’t allow them to live this long. They rapidly suffer from wounds or diseases and, as there is a lack of money the mahout can’t stop working or can’t tend to them.
Consequently the average life expectancy of elephants which work in the jungle is about 50 years.
3. Let’s prevent the disappearing of the species
In order to prevent both above mentioned problems, ASAS would like to sponsor the birth of a baby elephant The amount of the sponsoring will help the mahut feed his family whilst his female elephant is pregnant. The association Elephant Asia will look after the health of the mother elephant until the birth of its baby.